


Bring Mugs For The Ice

by Guardian_Rose



Series: Merlin & The Tasks [2]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: AU: Taskmaster, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, Fluff, Humour, M/M, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-28
Updated: 2019-01-28
Packaged: 2019-10-18 11:14:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17579783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Guardian_Rose/pseuds/Guardian_Rose
Summary: “Make this block of ice disappear. Fastest wins.”“I don’t want to watch this.” Merlin groans into his hands, Arthur smirks on from his throne with every line of his face broadcasting his immense glee for what’s to come.----Inspired by a clip from the Taskmaster TV show.Merlin and his fellow contestants are asked to melt a block of ice as fast as possible. Merlin never makes anything easy.





	Bring Mugs For The Ice

**\--- Recording ----**

 

“Make this block of ice disappear. Fastest wins.” 

 

“I don’t want to watch this.” Merlin groans into his hands, Arthur smirks on from his throne with every line of his face broadcasting his immense glee for what’s to come. 

 

Gwen pats his knee in what he assumes is meant to be a consoling fashion. He knows from talking to Gwaine before filming started that he isn’t alone in some of his idiocy but it isn’t making rewatching it in front of cameras, filming it for national television, any easier. Arthur’s smug remarks after each clip, as they build up to Merlin’s own attempt, are making it all the harder. Not that he’d expected much else. Leon finally reads the que off the monitor and at last he’s on screen, having just read out the task from the letter.

 

_ “Disappear? Not melt? I don’t have to definitely melt it?” He asked Leon, who was standing out of sight behind the camera. _

 

_ “It says disappear, yes.” _

 

_ Merlin’s face lit up in a smile. “Awesome.” _

 

The clip cuts off and Arthur turns imperiously to face him. 

 

“You took a different angle than the others, I take it?” Arthur raises an eyebrow at him, blue eyes flashing with mirth and mischief.

 

He nods. “I’m not proud of it. I don’t seem to make good choices under pressure like that.”

 

“Clearly. This entire series has proven that.” 

 

A roar of laughter erupts around him. He feels his cheeks flush a little.

 

**\---- A While Ago ----**

 

“Merlin? That you?” Arthur shouted from somewhere in the flat before Merlin had even managed to shut the door behind him.

 

“Hi Merlin, how’s your day been Merlin? I missed you, Merlin.” He muttered as he kicked his shoes off and dropped his rucksack on the sofa in the lounge before heading in the general direction of Arthur’s shuffling.

 

Arthur had clearly had a relaxed day, there was a book left on the couch and the tv box was on even though the screen was off. It sounded suspiciously like Arthur had the radio on in the kitchen and Merlin was happily proved right when he wandered in. Arthur was standing at the stove. Merlin wrapped his arms around Arthur’s waist and couldn’t help breathing a laugh into his boyfriend’s shoulder when he saw what was in the pan. 

 

“How was your day, Merlin?” Arthur asked, switching hands to keep stirring the badly melted chocolate whilst linking his finger’s with Merlin’s on his stomach.

 

“Dreadful. I know I can’t tell you much but Leon is a real bastard thinking up those tasks.” Merlin huffed. 

 

Arthur chuckled and gave up the wooden spoon for Merlin to take over, somehow making it look much easier despite the fact that stirring a bowl of chocolate really couldn’t be done more than one way. 

 

“I think you mean  _ I’m  _ a real bastard for setting the tasks.” Arthur said haughtily, Merlin rolled his eyes. 

 

“Mhmm, we all know it’s really Leon that’s the mastermind behind them all. Also, if you even mention ice tonight I will make you sleep on the couch.”

 

“Oh, I cannot wait to see what you’ve managed to do now.”

 

**\---- Recording ----**

 

“Shall we see what he did?” Leon asks Arthur, finger poised to tap the tablet in front of him and start the clip.

 

“Oh, yes please, Leon.” Arthur twisted in his chair and the rest of them followed suit as Merlin appeared again on the screen behind them.

 

_ “Disappear, disappear, what’s a smart thing to do?”  _

 

_ Merlin paced the ground, waving the letter in the air. _

 

_ “Merlin.” Leon said, again from behind the camera. “Can you read the last line, please?” _

 

_ “Melting it is surely the quickest way but it’s huge…” _

 

_ “Merlin.” _

 

_ “Bath? Leon, there’s a bath in the house right?” _

 

_ “Yes now please read the last line.” _

 

_ “Oh! Right, sorry. Time starts now.” Merlin grinned and immediately started running into the house, letter dropped onto the ground.  _

 

The clip cut to a series of shots of Merlin filling the Taskmaster house bath with hot water, holding the running shower head over the block of ice and Leon anxiously waiting for a kettle to boil in the kitchen. It’s pretty similar to what the others have done so far. Except. 

 

_ “Leon!” Merlin looked over his shoulder from leaning over the bath. “I need mugs!” _

 

_ “How many?” Leon asked, relatively calmly from the doorway, the kettle heard boiling in the background.  _

 

_ “All of them!” _

 

Arthur flashes him a baffled smile and Merlin shrugs in response, as if to say ‘I cannot justify this and I don’t think I want to’. Hopefully the editors won’t include it. A pretty futile hope considering they love teasing the fans who were already speculating on the nature of their relationship.

 

_ Merlin sat smugly on the edge of the bathtub. Shirt sleeves rolled up past his elbow yet still wet. The bath behind him still full of water but no longer filling up. Merlin was seemingly eating something and in front of him, on the floor, were cups, bowls, mugs and even a couple of pans all filled with water. Merlin swallowed and the clip cut off. _

 

Merlin smiles and leans back in his chair, nodding and whispering quick replies to Gwaine and Gwen on either side of him. Arthur shares a look with Leon. 

 

“Am I right in assuming, Merlin, that we just watched you  _ eat _ some of the ice?” Arthur says, managing to sound spectacularly amused.

 

“I’d rather not confirm it.” He laughed.

 

“So yes then.”

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I had a lot of fun writing this again and will do some more if you guys so wish!
> 
> Thanks for reading! <3
> 
> Comments and prompts welcome! (Not NSFW though) <3
> 
> Find more and original work at [TheWordForest](https://thewordforest.tumblr.com/) <3


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